Arts & Entertainment
Arts & Entertainment
Why Recording Studios Matter
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- Published: 24 August 2012 24 August 2012
Ever notice how things sound different in a gymnasium than in a closet? - Or in a basement, bathroom or auditorium? Likewise, there are big differences between listening to something on ear-buds, a car stereo, television, or in a movie theater.
Every physical space and every speaker affects the way things sound. A good mix will sound consistently good in any environment and on any listening device.
Achieving a good balanced mix is no easy task. It’s natural for an audio engineer to adjust things to make them sound as good as possible. But, if they’re making adjustments to compensate for shortcomings in the room they’re working in or the speakers they’re mixing on - they could actually be doing more harm than good.
For example - when working in a room that sounds bass heavy the mixer might eliminate some of the low frequencies; when played back in another room this mix could sound thin. Conversely, if a track is mixed on speakers with poor bass response the mixer might try to compensate by pushing the low frequencies - creating a bass heavy mix.
As with most things, computers have radically changed audio recording. Good quality recording gear is now more affordable, and home studios - setup in a garage, basement or spare bedroom - have become common among musicians. While this has been great for recording enthusiasts it doesn’t automatically put them on a level with a professional studio.
Professional studios go to great lengths when designing a recording or mix space. They carefully consider room dimensions and use of acoustic treatments as well as choice of speakers and their placement and then calibrate their space and equipment in order to achieve as transparent and accurate a representation of the sound as possible. Without this - there’s a good chance that mixes will sound unbalanced and won’t translate well to other spaces or systems.
While a solid performance and good song are important – it’s equally important to capture that with a good recording and mix. This insures that the end listener is focused on what’s most important – the music. A good recording can take a song to another level; a bad one can ruin it.
For more information about Audio Alchemy, Savage Tunes and Quad Studios, visit their websites.
Warwick Valley Jazz Musicians: Talkin' Jazz
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- Published: 12 March 2012 12 March 2012
Local jazz musicians playing at the 2010 Warwick Valley Jazz Festival discuss jazz album/artist who were a significant influence on their music.
Producer, Warwick Valley Jazz Festival
www.warwickvalleyjazzfest.com
"Kind of Blue" and "Live Evil" - Miles Davis
Miles. It had to be him........How do I pick one? I won't. "Kind of Blue" and "Live Evil".
The elegance of ensemble playing, the direction of Miles, the fire of Cannonball, the new sound of Trane and the blissful swing of Jimmy Cobb. Throw in some brilliant composition, 2 remarkable pianists and you have the quintessential jazz album for players and fans.
Kind of Blue is always fresh, and returning to it is a workshop for jazz. This is how to do it. Reminds me of my limitations and the remarkable gifts of others.
Live Evil...hmmmm the critics banned it, the jazz academia sneered at it's lack of "legitimate " jazz content and the purists accused him of selling out. Quite the contrary. This record is an extension of an artist always in transition. Selling out might have been to play it safe. Jack DeJohnette, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea on electric keyboards, a Motown bass player, Gary Bartz, Steve Grossman, Airto and John McLaughlin. Does it swing? Well not like Basie or Duke. Does it bop like Bird? No. It grooves. It's group listening and improvisation on simple themes. But the players! It's live. ( mostly) and it's happening...............always.
Jazz for me is a metaphor for high consciousness living. What's good for the ensemble, collective, is good for the individual. They live interdependent on that relationship. The music succeeds on the merit of that perspective.When Louie came up, and Diz was on 52nd st. someone was always unhappy. "It just isn't jazz."
Jazz lived and will survive by stretching the paradigm. We'll always gravitate to a preference. But attachment to a singular definition and rejection of variations on familiar themes holds us back. Miles gave us "new directions." And man are we the fortunate recipients.
INNERrOUTe - a CD Review
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- Published: 21 February 2012 21 February 2012
If you're hoping to read the usual CD review, it's not happening. What is happening is live improvisational music. And it's being performed by INNERrOUTe.
Rather then discuss the tunes, the details of what happens, I'd like to respect what strikes me most about the CD. Artistic courage.
Living in the moment and capturing a recording of it is one thing. Having the artistic courage to release it is another. Michael D'Agostino, drums, Bill McCrossen, bass, Rick Savage, trumpet and Joe Vincent Tranchina, keyboards took a collective leap of faith. Who does that these days?
I've listened to this, not as a musician who has worked with these wonderful musicians, but as curious listener. And not with the “for musicians ears only” perspective. This music is accessible.
The magic, which happens in the improvisational moment, is self-evident. It's not about the academic analysis. The listener is drawn in. It's your own valid experience. You don't need a guidebook, or musician to get inside this.
I recommend getting this CD. Why?
Maybe it'll remind you of Miles, or Weather Report or Sun Ra or Anthony Braxton. Maybe for you, it's a film score, and ambient vibe or a completely different take. Good. There is no singular definition or high ground subjective description. Yours is as valid as the next.
INNERrOUTe is none of the above, it's fresh because it happened in the moment. Fortunately for them and now us, they recorded it!
As musicians define their own identity and signature to their playing, it's a customized brew of their preferences and influences. If you hear Bitches Brew or any of the aforementioned, it's not a function of an intended choice. I for one am glad to hear a little bit of this. At a time when the preservation of jazz in the mainstream revisits early bop and straight ahead, I love that this CD takes me to the '70's mind set. Good for them, that was happening music.
This is wonderful stuff and rather then color your opinion by reviewing each track, I think the spirit of the music and it's genuine intent is to experience it as it was created. Without preconception. In the present.
So, do yourself a favor and disregard the little bit of interpretation I've given and trust your own. You'll not be disappointed.
To purchase CD, visit CD Baby at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/innerroute1 or itunes at
Steve Rubin is the producer of the Warwick Valley Jazz Festival and drummer for the Skye Jazz Trio.